Allegheny Youth Development

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Thorne, Tiller finish 1st at Ameri-Kan

Three AYD athletes from South Hills Judo Club won four trophies in five divisions May 19 at the Ameri-Kan Open Judo Championship in Lima, Ohio.

Eric Thorne, 16, a sophomore at Allderdice High School, won the Junior Boys' 15-16-year-old Lightweight Division with a 3-0 record, and then competed in the Men's Lightweight Black and Brown Belt Division to finish 2-0 for another first-place trophy. Eric's season record now extends to 36-4, with 28 wins by ippon, or major point, throws.

Devante Tiller, 13, an eighth-grader at Rooney Accelerated Learning Academy, chose to fight in the more competitive 15-16-year-old division and came away with the first-place trophy - not bad for an athlete who just started judo in September.

Luther Springs, also an Allderdice sophomore, redeemed a fourth-place finish in the Junior Boys' Division with a second-place victory in the Senior Men's Lightweight Black and Brown Belt Division with an impressive ippon throw just 12 seconds into his semifinal round match.

AYD judo members are next scheduled to compete at the Am-Can International Judo Challenge in Amherst, N.Y., May 26 and 27.

Luther Throws[Luther Springs sends an opponent flying with morote seoinage - a two-arm shoulder throw.

 

Devante pinDevante Tiller cinches up a kesa gatame, or scarf-hold, to pin his opponent for a final-round win.

 

Winners Luther Springs, Eric Thorne, Coach Rick Brown and Devante Tiller display their hardware.

 

Eric throwsEric Thorne drops an opponent for an ippon victory in the Junior Division.

 

  

AYD is a partner in South Hills Judo Club's "Degrees to Diplomas" program, a pilot project whose goal is to improve reading, writing and math abilities for middle and high school participants. In addition to judo instruction, participants receive tutoring and homework assistance, as well as nutritious, home-cooked dinners.

 

Since January, approximately two-thirds of the Degrees to Diplomas participants have improved their public school grades.

 

Judo is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes use of an opponent's own force and momentum to throw or subdue him. Matches are won by throws, pinfalls and, in the older divisions, chokeholds and arm joint locks. Judo means "gentle way" in Japanese, and demands great discipline, courage, athleticism and courtesy among its students.

 

For more information about AYD's judo program, contact Brian Foltz at brfoltz@ayd.org or by calling (412) 322-5040.
 
 

 
       


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